Ripping attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

0. H. STUART.

RIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 587,615. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

M/ VE N 70/? WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. STUART, OF NEXVARK, NElV YORK.

RIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,615, dated August3, 1897.

' Application filed May 13,1897. Serial No. 636,360. (NomorlelJ To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. STUART, of Newark, in the county of Wayneand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved RippingAttachment for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economic rippingattachment which may be quickly and conveniently applied to anysewingmachine and the knife of the attachment secured to the needle-barand taking the place of the needle.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a needle-plate arrangedto cover the feed device of the machine without interfering with itsmovements, such plate serving both as a guide for the ripping-knife anda guide for the seam being operated upon.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of that part of the arm of thesewing-machine carrying the needle-bar and a partial side elevation andpartial sectional view of the'table, showing the ripping-knifesubstituted for the needle, said knife being in edge view. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the plate which is 'used in connection with the knife. Fig.3 is a perspective view of the improved knife, and Fig. 4 is a similarview of a knife slightly modified in construction.

The knife A consists of a blade 10 and a shank 11. The blade 10 ispreferably razorshaped, having both sides slanting or inclined, wherebya broad back is obtained and an exceedingly sharp cutting edge may beproduced. In Fig. 3 the cutting edge is shown perfectly plain orstraight, whereas in Fig. 4 the cutting edge is shown as provided withserrations 10 The shank 11 is shown as round, but it may be made angularin cross-section or of any desired cross-sectional shape which willadmit of the shank being introduced into the needle-receiving sockets ofsewing-machines. In connection with the knifea plate Bis employed, andthis plate consists, essentially, of a head 12 and a shank 13. The shank13 receives a thumb-screw 14, and the thumbscrew is to be entered. intoany of the openings on the machine-table adjacent to the feed mechanism,which openings are usually made for securing attachments to the machine.

The head is shown as circular, but it may be given other shape, and thehead is also preferably struck up from below or hollowed out in suchmanner as to form a chamber 1%. \Vhen the plate is secured on'the tableor sewing-machine, the head of the plate will eftectually cover the feedmechanism of the machine and yet permit said mechanism to 0perate in itscustomary way. An opening 15 is made at or about thecentral portion ofthe head of the plate of such dimensions andshape as to admit of theknife playing freely through the plate. The knife is made of such lengththat it will not, even at the limit of its upstroke, pass beyond thefeed mechanism. The head of the plate is furthermore provided upon itsupper face with ridges 16, which will serve to enable'the operator toreadily follow the seam to be'ripped and serve as a guide for the seam.

It is evident that a device of the character above set forth isexceedingly simple and durable and that it may be attached readily to asewing-machine of any type or style.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An article of manufacture, consisting of a platehaving a raised or offsetportion at one end, a hole therethrough adaptedto act as a knife-guard, parallel raised ridges on the upper surfacethereof on each side of thehole, and means for secu ring said plate to asewin g-machine bed with the hole therein beneath the needle-bar,substantially as described.

2. A ripping or cutting attachment for sewing-machines comprising aplate adapted to be secured to the machine-bed beneath the needle-barand to cover the feed mechanism, neeclle-barrsaid plate having parallelridges said plate having ahole shaped to correspond one upon each sideof the euttebguide, sub- With the section of the cutter and acting" as astantially as described.

guide therefor and a cutter consisting of a CHARLES H. STUART. 5 barhaving a knife-section adapted to enter Vitnesses:

the hole in the plate and a shank-section FRED. M. PHELPS,

adapted to enter the needle-socket in the JAMES M..P1TK1N, Jr.

